Could Emily Die on Revenge? 5 Shows That Killed Off Main Characters

Could Emily Die on Revenge? 5 Shows That Killed Off Main Characters

Ned Stark, Game of Thrones

Ned Stark, Game of Thrones

Perhaps the most dramatic and famous example of killing a true protagonist,

Perhaps the most dramatic and famous example of killing a true protagonist, Game of Thronesvery purposefully set Ned Stark (Sean Bean) up as the protagonist and moral center of the show, casting a big name actor in the role, and featuring him at the center of every poster. When he unceremoniously lost his head in Season 1, Episode 9, the unspoiled TV viewers collectively lost their minds.

The amazing part? ;The show managed to pull a similar shock again, when Ned's wife and eldest son were brought down during the brutal Red Wedding in Season 3. Will Game of Thrones fans ever learn that no character is sacred?

Sybil Branson and Matthew Crawley, Downton Abbey

Sybil Branson and Matthew Crawley, Downton Abbey

Downton Abbey Season 3 was a tough one to take. After unceremoniously having fan fave Sybil die due to complications from childbirth halfway through the season, the writer ...

Downton Abbey Season 3 was a tough one to take. After unceremoniously having fan fave Sybil die due to complications from childbirth halfway through the season, the writers were then forced to kill the show's romantic lead, Matthew, in the finale because actor Dan Stevens wanted off the show. To add insult to injury, the had him die in a car accident just moments after his first child was born, because we weren't upset enough already.

Jimmy Darmody, Boardwalk Empire

Jimmy Darmody, Boardwalk Empire

In the first season of Boardwalk Empire, Jimmy Darmody acted as a foil to and practical co-protagonist alongside anti-hero Nucky Thompson. His role got even b ...

In the first season of Boardwalk Empire, Jimmy Darmody acted as a foil to and practical co-protagonist alongside anti-hero Nucky Thompson. His role got even bigger in Season 2, as he and Nucky went to war. Unfortunately, as he learned in the Season 2 finale, if you go up against Nucky, you won't live to regret it, no matter how important your character seems.

Marissa Cooper, The OC

Marissa Cooper, The OC

We knew Mischa Barton was leaving The O.C., but we still never expected for her to be killed off in the Season 3 finale. She was supposed to have a forev ...

We knew Mischa Barton was leaving The O.C., but we still never expected for her to be killed off in the Season 3 finale. She was supposed to have a forever love with Ryan Atwood! No, we're still not over it.

Violet, and Then Everybody, American Horror Story: Murder House

Violet, and Then Everybody, American Horror Story: Murder House

Before we realized that American Horror Story was going to be an anthology style show that tells a different story every season, we were shocked when Vio ...

Before we realized that American Horror Story was going to be an anthology style show that tells a different story every season, we were shocked when Violet was revealed to be dead about halfway through the first season. And honestly, we also weren't prepared for the utter bloodbath the season became by the end.

What's your favorite example of a show killing off main characters? Sound off in the comments below!

Could Emily Die on Revenge? 5 Shows That Killed Off Main Characters

The dramatic RevengeSeason 3 promo teases the possibility of Lady Revenge herself, Emily Thorne (Emily VanCamp), biting the bullet. While we seriously doubt that Emily will actually die next season, if Revenge did go down that road, it wouldn’t be far the first show to off its protagonist.

To help us mentally prepare for the slim possibility of Em actually saying goodbye to this mortal coil, we've gathered five of the most memorable major character deaths on TV. If it's happened before, it could happen again — even though we really don't want it to.